Welcome to Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator

Release week for Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator is here. If I am as good as I say I am in the book, you should be hearing, seeing and reading a lot about it.* If you want updates on what’s happening about the book, tour dates for me, and links to articles I’ve written recently, check back to this post going forward. If you’re coming to this site for the first time, the links below should tell you a little bit more about me. Or just read this bio. Hope you stick around and don’t forget to subscribe to my reading recommendations

*This blog has never focused much on my work (writing instead about philosophy, life and strategy) and I’ve only talked a little bit about my book here. I plan to keep it that way, so don’t worry. However, with the publicity for the book and all the press planned for this week there is going to be a rush of new readers.

Ryan Holiday

I'm a strategist for bestselling authors and billion dollar brands like American Apparel, Tucker Max and Robert Greene. My work has been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube and Google and has been written about in AdAge, the New York Times, Gawker and Fast Company.

Do you have any advice for people who are unemployed? What do you think were some of the most important skills that enabled you to get interviewed and hired with American Apparel? Why do you think they trusted you with that responsibility? I find this to be the most fascinating part of your story. Thanks.

“Trust Me: I’m Lying: In which Ryan Holiday outlines how he auctioned off his credibility, integrity, and character to the highest bidder, then turned around and screwed the very industry that made him rich”

Followed you here from your T. Ferriss post, one of the best teasers I’ve ever seen. Can’t wait to hear what traditional media has to say about your book. I hope you’ll share some of that feedback here along with your reactions to it.

Ryan,
I just saw the article where you were talking about Greenpeace and the Shell Oil hoax, and was reminded of my own experience with this org that I thought I’d share.

Once upon a time, I was a regular donor to Greenpeace. Then one day a letter arrived in my mailbox asking for donations to help them fight the charges of “sailor-mongering” leveled against them by AG Ashcroft (a man I had already despised for quite some time). Now, I remember the day this happened, and I too was outraged at this action, considering the activists weren’t doing any such thing, but rather hanging a banner noting that the ship in Miami had timber from the Amazon that was banned in the US.

Thing is, the letter arrived close to three months AFTER Ashcroft had dropped the charges. Better yet, it was dated over two months after they were dropped as well, meaning whoever decided to distribute the letter was knowingly telling lies, asking money to fight a legal battle that didn’t exist. Now, I don’t doubt this letter was being written before the dismissal, but it certainly wasn’t finished and sent out, given the date on the letter itself. So I immediately stopped my sponsorship.

A few months later, I get a cold call from them asking once again for my support. I told them I didn’t support scam artists and told the lady on the phone about the fraudulent letter. After I finished, she comes up with this for a reply, “Yes… but we really need the money.”

Ryan, I had an uncle that was a journalist back in the 40s and 50s, Ralph Goll(worked on a Detroit paper and wrote some of the Lone Ranger stories for radio). He had stated many times, even way back then, that they were often told by the editors, “We are not here to lie to the people(newspapers), we are here to uncover the truth”. He stated that towards the end of his days in journalism, that this had changed, and they were often told to “Go look for news, and if you can’t find any, make some up, facts be damned”.

I spotted you over on Chase Jarvis’ site a few weeks back, listened to you on the Rise To The Top, watched you on Andrew Warner’s Mixergy program, of course checked out Tim Ferriss’ blogpost (love the Sasha Grey ad), and have sat in mouth-hanging-wide-open amazement at Peter Shankman’s denouncements of your tactics.

Well played, young man.

Though I’m twice your age, I feel as though I might have – at best – a mere one percent of the marketing cojones you bring to the game.

I stumbled across your blog a month ago, or so. It’s received high status on my browser with it’s very own bookmark. I don’t know about the book, which I’ve ordered, but I know this; you’re an exceptional writer.

I heard you on Coast to Coast Am this morning. I bought the Kindle Version of the book so I am anxious to read it. I have a small DVD website that I am trying to get rolling and I am hoping to get some ideas on taking it to the next level. I am tired of paying AMAZON and Ebay 15-25% commission. Good job by the way on the radio. Very interesting stuff!!!!!! I learned alot.

I would not normally read a book on this subject matter and I am not usually the first in the know about what is “trending,” but because you are some kind of freak mastermind at this game, within a week of its release I am already reading your horrifying little tome.
I am on page 35. I am thoroughly disgusted and terrified by the system and shamed at my own lemming-like belief in its validity. (Unless, of course, you are lying about this too. ??? Please???)
So, yeah, I will be doing my little part in assuring your virality, by sharing you on Facebook and tweeting the f**k outta you.

I’m only a few pages into your book. It’s taking me forever to read because nearly every paragraph makes me stop and think about things for 10 minutes or so. Really loving your book. I bought it as a somewhat random purchase based on teh strength of the cover and concept, and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite reads in years. Great job!

Most of the way through the audiobook version — quite disturbing yet not surprising.

I would like to point out that although your descriptions of the bad guys as dickheads et al is apt, they do have a professional designation, which is sociopaths, which is to say people without a conscience. You describe an online universe that rewards sociopathic behavior.

As someone who works hard to publish true, thoughtful and balanced articles, I’m hoping that by the end of the audio program you will have used your considerable imagination and intelligence to propose an alternate universe that rewards integrity.

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[…] Ryan Holiday- I’ve spoken about Ryan Holiday on this website before, so you should all by now know who he is. He has just released a book, Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator. I haven’t read it yet but will be ordering it off Amazon. For anyone who doesn’t know where to start, start reading here. […]

[…] weekend, I was having lunch with a journalist. She took out a copy of the new book, “Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator.” She told me it was a disturbing portrayal of public relations and a challenge to the integrity of […]

[…] Trust Me, I’m Lying – Confessions of a Media Manipulator by Ryan Holiday is a brilliant book about the online media landscape, and how it is driving public discourse in a very bad direction. Ryan has a very interesting background, having worked in marketing and being part of the problem he describes. In his work, he has exploited the weaknesses of the new media landscape to get stories into blogs, press, and often national television. Stories about his clients, to get them attention and ultimately business. In this book, he describes what he did, how he did it, and why we as a society have a big problem. It has changed the way I read online media, and made me a lot more critical of things I previously did not take notice of. […]

[…] Welcome to Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media … – Release week for Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator is here. If I am as good as I say I am in the book, you should be hearing, seeing and …… […]